Charles s



inih tutes getint; @fitte IHIPIWB) SUSPENDING-GL'W EUR HORSE HAY-FORKS.

dige rigehnl nemh in in this Enters @anni mit making @an nf tgz same.

TO ALL WIIOM I'I MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. KERSIIAW, of Sherburne, in the county of Chennngo, and State of New York, have invented a new and improved suspending Clnw for Horse Hay-Forks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication, in which- Figure 1 is u. perspective view of my invention, and

Figure 2 is o. side view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate-like parts.

In filling a. hay-loft with a. horse hay-fork, the upper pulley-block of the fork has to be changed about to another part of the loft when one part has become filled; and as these changes have to be 'made frequently, the lashing or fastening of said block to different parts ofthe loft is the occasion of considerable labor and loss of time. This trouble and loss of time I obviete, in o. great measure, by providing the block with a self-acting claw or pair of jaws, which, by the Weight of the forli, is made to bite upon a rafter or other timber, and serve ns means ot' suspending the block in such a manner that it may be detached and removed to another position with the greatest' facility, ashereinafter explained.

In the accompanying drawing, A C are a pair ot'jews, which are pivoted together at D, each jow having a hool, as shown by a c, for taking hold of a wooden beam, and one part or jaw, A, having'a hook, b, on its lower termination for holding a pulley-block, F, ofthe fork, as shown in iig. 2.

Its operation is asfollows: E, in fig. 2, represents e. rafter or other timber of the loft. The jaws A C are opened and brought against the sides of timber E, and are made to bite the seid timber by the weight of block F and fork, which tends to close the jaws. When it becomes necessary to change the position of the block to another part of the loft, then the weight is removed from the claw or grab, and it is readily unhooked and piaced upon some other rafter or timber, as desired. The claw may be used for suspending the fork-block, and also for suspending a block by which the fork is swung oi laterally, or switched off so as to drop its load to one side in the loft. By these means a saving of labor isvrnade, and the work of filling a loft is greatly expedited.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

As an article of manufacture, the suspending claw, the seme consisting of the jaw A, provided with hook a st one end, end the connecting-hook or eye b at the other end, and combined at right angles with the claw C c by means of pivot D, substantially as herein described and for the purpose specified.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 29th day of March, 1867.

CHARLES S. KERSHAW.

Witnesses:

F. A. Montrail, JosnPn ENGLEBT. 

